Big Dreams Little Tent

The indifference of the public is astounding. Don’t get me wrong, most are quick to jump on the bandwagon for their causes, wanton in offering up their opinions, fast to draw down with their observations. In fact, I have 3,400+ Facebook ‘Friends’ many of whom frequently interact with me when I offer the opportunity to discuss current events, especially politics that is unless I ask for their opinion with the following tag line:

This is a Question not a debate, it is for something I am writing. Many people most on the Right (Conservative) but some even on the Left (Liberal) have said they want smaller Government. What exactly does that mean? Don’t give long answers please, specifics what would you eliminate and why. If you want to pass this around to others that would be most appreciated. Again, no debate. If you see an answer you disagree with do not challenge it, it is irrelevant all I am looking for is what are people thinking. Your help is most appreciated.

Perhaps I should have promoted this, even paid. Facebook isn’t what it once was, yet usually at least some of my family will jump in to tell me their ideas. I have family who have distinctly different views from my own; they are usually good for at least a response or two. So, besides learning Facebook isn’t what it once was, what did I learn?

People don’t have ideas they can define easily.

People just want to complain.

I don’t think I was necessarily surprised by this, I was however disappointed. Nearly two years ago I wrote on another site an ode to Progressive Political Thinking, or how I would fix what was broken. It isn’t that I believe my views are perfect or can fix everything, I simply think if we sit down together and talk through the issues we face as a nation we can correct our course. I don’t believe the majority of us are that far apart in our thinking, despite the labels we slap on our lapels or the signs we place in our lawns.

What is it most of us really want? I wonder now, how many of us can really say what it is they believe in without the use of “Buzz”. How many of us can answer simple questions?

What does Smaller Government mean?

What does overturning Roe-v-Wade mean?

What does a Secular Government versus a Christian Nation mean?

What does Debt versus Deficit mean and why are either or both bad?

What are Austerity Measures in terms of the economy?

What is the War on Drugs?

What is the War on Women?

What are Entitlements?

What is Supply Side Economics?

What is Demand Side Economics?

What is the Trickle Down Theory of Economics? Has it worked?

What is the environment and how do we influence it?

I wonder how many in this nation truly understand these questions and their own answers to them. I have many other questions, these are good ones though as these get asked and debated frequently in many of the forums I frequent. The interesting thing is, no matter what side of the political spectrum you might be on most of us start at the same place, with the same desires and same wants.

Freedom and independence.

Leave my children (future generations) with a better world.

More money in my pocket.

Greater opportunity.

Safety of person.

I truly believe if normal everyday people sat down at the table, despite our differences we could sort out the issues and find common ground. I don’t believe most of us are that far apart, sure we might have issues we care deeply about on a personal level, things we feel passionate about; but ask yourself, are those things truly what you and I should be willing to bring the nation to its knees over? I wonder, have we allowed ourselves to be distracted by what isn’t of vital importance to the success of a nation. Have we bet the future of our children on the petty snark rather than demanding the big promises we are capable of and once achieved.

Isn’t that the truth. Do you wonder sometimes, if we ran the world would we change so dramatically we would become great big power hungry azzhats? I wonder, then I think “No, with few exceptions it simply isn’t in our nature.”

That is nice that on your Facebook, you stimulate political discussions. A lot of Facebookers tend to just post random happenings in their own lives or pictures of themselves. For this reason, I’m not in Gacebook as often as the majority of the population.

Government should be run like a business, fat trimmed and belts tightened. Too many tax dollars are wasted. Too many members for a piece of the pie the little man is paying for. That wouldn’t be a bad start.

To my mind, folks don’t ask those questions, they just come up with answers. It is the whole “cut entitlements but keep your hands off my Medicare” mentality.

Folks don’t know what government — large or small — does. Everyone is all for cutting regulations, but they don’t know what that means. I know, that was partly your point.

Civics needs to be taught — not just once, but constantly throughout school. It should be mandator. People need to grow up knowing enough about government to ask the right questions and to be able to come up with thoughtful answers.

This is such a lost subject. Children in Texas must learn State History. Want to know something funny? It will make you weep. The history they are being taught is a great gaping damned lie, repeated by their teachers who know it is a lie, repeated by every level of government official who also know it is a lie.

Civics, what a concept. We have members of the first Congressional Congress being blacked out, their names being wiped out because they were not Christians. Yes, welcome to the great state of Texas.

We, the people are willfully stupid. Not just ignorant but willfully stupid.

I like a logical mind. More people should make our politicians clarify their objectives before we vote them in. And then watch them afterward to see they do what we wanted them to do when we voted them in. People get the leadership they deserve when they are not on guard.

For me, smaller government is not legislating everything (Do we really need to regulate the optimal number of mosquitoes per acre?) and foregoing duplicity in the name of state’s rights (Murder is murder no matter where you commit it.). Stick to personal safety assurances and industrial regulation which fosters economic equity.

Smaller gov’t means efficiency. Employ the least number of ppl for the least amount of time to do any job. As with private sector, they fail deadlines, standards and/or budget; they are replaced.

I could go question by question, but these are my biggest. Fewer laws does not mean more lawlessness, it means more freedom.

The question at a time for a series was the idea. Ask the question in Facebook to capture what people thought. Then discuss what people were really thinking versus the results we were getting. Now, I am going to have to approach it differently.

I agree with you smaller gov’t means efficiency, I think someone in the answer group said the same thing.

The habit of bludgeoning the other side with their inconsistencies and foibles is far more standard fare than owning what we really want. The system is set up as adversarial. It is not about proving one’s own case, but about undermining the case of the other more than they undermine yours. I advocate scrapping most all of it on the basis weigh its efficacy and necessity. The regulating of alleged common sense is inane.

I do propose one legislation, however. Make attorneys an endangered species by strengthening the requirements for bringing cases. Fewer frivolous judiciary reviews would mean less idiotic laws. (Think the regulation of “Contents may be hot.”)

I think the questions and answers idea is much better otherwise one can be swamped by all the ridiculous bickering, which gets everyone absolutely nowhere… A great posting Val and do have a very nice start to your week 🙂 🙂 xxx

Oh, Val…I have a lot to say on all of these issues, but we’d need a phone. Perhaps that is why I do not debate politics online. Too much gets lost in the translation, but like you, I suspect most of us have more common hope and goals than not. Facebook is not the place to find that out, for the good, or the bad. Snark reigns! 😉

The funny thing is, I was hoping to turn it into a series. First, what does small or smaller government mean.

Then asking just one question at a time. I use to be able to do this, yes on Facebook. It was a great source for this type of information. It was a great source for a broad swath of feedback. In the last 5 years, things have just gotten different. I am sad.

Great post. Important questions presented in a wonderfully sensible manner. I think the divide in the past five years is frightening . . . and sad. I do wonder what this nation will become if we don’t give up that awful word “compromise”–everyone loses something–and get to the word we need, “consensus”–through civil debate we find that ground where we all get to where we want to be. Like you, excepting a few wing nuts–and that’s both wings–I don’t think we are that far apart.